DVD region code



DVD region codes are a DRM scheme. DVD video discs may be encoded with a region code restricting the area of the world in which they can be played. Discs without region coding are called all region or region 0 discs.

The commercial DVD player specification requires that a player to be sold in a given place not play discs encoded for a different region (region 0 discs are not restricted). The purpose of this is to allow motion picture studios to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and, especially, price, according to the region. Many DVD players are or can be modified to be region-free, allowing playback of all discs.

Region codes and countries

 * Region 0: Informal term meaning "worldwide". Region 0 is not an official setting; discs that bear the region 0 symbol either have no flag set or have region 1–6 flags set.


 * Region 1:Canada, United States; U.S. territories; Bermuda


 * Region 2:Western and Central Europe; Western Asia; Iran, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho; United Kingdom, Turkey, French overseas territories


 * Region 3:Southeast Asia; South Korea; Taiwan; Hong Kong; Macau


 * Region 4:Mexico, Central and South America; Caribbean; Australia; New Zealand; Oceania;


 * Region 5:Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Africa, Central and South Asia, Mongolia, North Korea.


 * Region 6:China


 * Region 7:Reserved for future use (found in use on protected screener copies of MPAA-related DVDs and "media copies" of pre-releases in Asia)


 * Region 8:International venues such as aircraft, cruise ships, etc.[1]


 * Region All:Region ALL discs have all 8 flags set, allowing the disc to be played in any locale on any player.